By Purser Allison Steele
With ship’s work continuing on, many of the crew are enjoying their new roles and adjusting to new challenges. The New Lead Seaman are leading their watches through line drills and practising stowing aloft. There are different methods to stowing sails and they need to be done quickly and efficiently should weather arise so this is an important skill to be practised at. The Mate also lead a workshop on Ratlines and several spares were constructed and maintenance checks to current ones. The crew lined up along the stretched out wires and enjoyed the messy fun of tarring! The application of tar protects the rigging from the wearing elements from the sea and weather not unlike paint and varnish. This type of maintenance work is vital to a ship not only for aesthetics but to provide protection and treatment. Without varnish, for example, wood would not last nearly as long as it does. There are parts of the quarterdeck that are original from PICTON CASTLE’s construction in 1928 that have been carefully maintained over the years. Sailing a vessel such as ours is not just about setting sails, it’s about how to care for the ship so that she can take you to far flung places in the world. A job worth doing.
Noon Position: 47°12′.9N 060°11′.6W
Course and Speed: SxW 3.6kts
Wind: NE 1/2 kts
Swell: ENE <1kts
Visibility: Good
Day’s Run: 85.8nm
Log: 182.9nm
Distance to Port: 94.9nm
Voyage Log: 5172.4nm